Mentoring in Head Start Programs

By Sarah Merrill

What is a Mentor Program?
A mentor program provides an opportunity for newer teachers to learn and receive support from more experienced teachers, thus improving the quality of teaching in the classroom. While the primary goal of the mentor program is to provide an opportunity for professional growth, a mentoring program also creates another rung on the career ladder for teachers since only the most experienced and effective teachers become mentors.

The design of a mentoring program ranges from informal buddy systems to structured meetings between a trained mentor teacher and a mentee. Some programs are conducted entirely in-house while others involve partnerships with local programs.

To be effective, a mentor program should be designed to meet the needs of the Head Start program and staff. Doing this takes time, reflection, and research. Support from the administration is key, and provides the impetus for the creation and continuation of a mentor program. It is important that the entire staff has a clear understanding of the purpose and mission of the mentor program. With this mission in mind, staff and local programs are more willing to weather the growing pains in support of the bigger picture.

This article summarizes the design strategies chosen by one Head Start program, and discusses some of the outcomes of the program as noticed by the colleagues of the mentor and mentee teachers.

Designing a Mentor Program: A Case Study
Our case study is a large, child care center, with 67 full-time staff and 200 children, ranging in age from infancy (three months of age) through kindergarten (six years of age). After one year of research and reflection, a task force team–which included staff, administration, and parents–designed an internal mentor network to meet the needs of the center.

The task force team developed and now implements an interview and selection process. Teachers apply on a voluntary basis to be either a mentor or mentee. Certain eligibility requirements are established. For example, mentor teachers must be qualified to be lead teachers and mentees must have been with the center for at least one year. Once selected, the mentor and mentee meet once a week for two hours, from October to May. Substitute teachers are scheduled to work with both classrooms during that time to fill in for the mentor and mentee teachers.

Mentors as well as mentees receive training. Training for the mentors includes adult development, mentoring skills, and leadership development. Ongoing support is also provided, for both the mentor and mentee, via monthly check-ins. In our case study, the child care center pays for the classes and seminars. The mentor and mentee teachers also receive stipends for their work.

At the end of May, the center celebrates the accomplishments of the mentor and mentees with an annual dinner. The teachers share their projects and accomplishments. Awards are also presented to teammates and substitute teachers who have supported the program.

Evaluations occur annually via interviews and written inquiries. Feedback from the interviews and surveys are then used to enhance the program.

Ripple Effects of a Mentor Program
We often think of how mentor programs provide sound professional development for the mentor and mentee. In formal programs, the mentor and mentee teachers spend time outside of the classroom. They discuss, research, implement, and reflect on their teaching practice over time. This process allows for critical examination and growth for the mentee as well as for the mentor.

The mentor program can also be a powerful dynamic for others within a program. Teammates of the mentor and mentee teachers note positive outcomes from the mentor program. They notice an increase in collaboration among the staff, and ideas, resources, and materials are more readily shared between teachers and classrooms.

Classroom teammates also realize that the program has a direct impact on their classroom. In addition to improved teaching skills, mentees may bring other knowledge back to the classroom. For example, physical design of the classroom can be improved: In our case study, the mentor and mentee used tools, such as the Infant-Toddler Environment Rating Scale, to assess the physical surroundings and make appropriate changes.

Teachers have also observed that the dynamics within a classroom can be difficult during the absence of the mentor or mentee, yet substitute teachers can help staff get through the busy moments.

Conclusion
A mentor program is a wonderful way to enhance professional development for individual teachers as well as for local programs. The success of the mentor program depends upon designing a mentoring program that matches the needs of your Head Start program. Internal support is also necessary to maintain the systems that support the mentoring program's mission.

As one teacher summarizes, "...if we keep doing things like the mentor program, we'll keep growing and expanding. We'll always be on the cutting edge and looked at as top quality."

Internal systems that support the mentor program can ensure success despite growing pains. One way for a program to begin is to create a task force team. Topics for the task force team to research and consider, while creating a program specific to their program's needs, may include–

• Qualifications of mentor and mentee applicants
• Application and interview process
• Course work and seminar support
• Stipends
• Substitute teachers
• Scheduling issues
• End-of-the-year celebrations, acknowledging everyone who supported the program, such as teammates and substitute teachers
• Evaluation and enhancement processes of the program

Sarah Merrill was a 2000–2001 Head Start Fellow with the Head Start Bureau in Washington, D.C.